This video includes Lucas explaining the plumbing for the natural stone grotto waterfall. Lucas also walks you through design changes and additions incorporated in the natural stone grotto waterfall. This project is a swimming pool remodel with a natural stone grotto waterfall, stone spa with waterfall, koi pond with waterfall and stone bridge, all surrounded by tropical landscaping in Sarasota, Florida. This “Plumbing Natural Stone Grotto Waterfall plus Extras with Stone” video is part of a Video Series about the progress of our swimming pool construction on this pool and spa remodel.

If you enjoy what you see, please check the like box and leave a comment below, they are always appreciated. Thanks for watching and look forward to more great videos to come.

This video includes the process Lucas goes through setting a natural stone boulder perfectly. This project is a swimming pool remodel with a natural stone grotto waterfall, stone spa with waterfall, koi pond with waterfall and stone bridge, all surrounded by tropical landscaping in Sarasota, Florida. This “Process of Setting a Natural Stone Boulder Perfectly by Lucas” video is part of a Video Series about the progress of our swimming pool construction on this pool and spa remodel.

If you enjoy what you see, please check the like box and leave a comment below,
they are always appreciated. Thanks for watching and look forward to more great videos to come.

Lucas Lagoons Inc. of Sarasota won a Bronze award in the Residential Shotcrete/Gunite Pool Vanishing Edge category, a Silver award in the Residential Pool/Spa Combination Vanishing Edge category, and a Silver award in the Residential Pool Restoration category. The winning pools were entered for judging by Lucas Congdon.

FSPA President Richard Moseley said, “The FSPA’s Design Awards is a great program that highlights the craftsmanship of pools being built across the state. All of the winners should be proud of their work.”

The annual FSPA Design Awards program gives members an opportunity to enter their pools, spas and water features for judging on workmanship, soundness of design, beauty, practicality and safety. Categories customized for Florida pool construction divide the entries by size, type of construction and features.
This year, 21 awards ranging from gold to award of merit were given out in 10 categories. The winners are selected by a Design Awards Committee, which consists of knowledgeable professionals, and are recognized at the annual Orlando Pool and Spa Show in February.

The Florida Swimming Pool Association is a trade association for the pool and spa industry in Florida. There are approximately 550 member businesses in 16 chapters across the state. Members are required to abide by a code of ethics and to be properly licensed and insured. FSPA provides the industry with access to continuing education courses, information on current trends and issues, an arbitration program and government relations representation. FSPA is governed by a Board of Directors

Every year I win more awards for my natural stone swimming pools and I appreciate every single award. I am very passionate about every pool and outdoor design that I build and dedicated to achieving perfection in all my creations. Other awards won by Lucas Lagoons include swimming pool remodels, new pools, natural stone grotto waterfalls, and more natural stone outdoor designs. Enjoy!

The first phase for a new swimming pool is the initial design meeting. This first meeting is a very important step to ensure your “dream come true” swimming pool. The contractor must meet with the clients at the site of the proposed swimming pool. Remember it is the obligation of the contractor to listen to your ideas and dreams for the pool and to come up with a preliminary plan. If he tells you that your dreams cannot be fulfilled, and pulls out some standard designs, find another contractor.

Some key questions to consider before meeting with the contractor are:

Do you want a spa as well as a pool?

Stone Spa with Swimming Pool

Do you have a color preference for the interior finish of the swimming pool?

Interior Finish for a Swimming Pool

What type of decking do you like?

Flagstone Decking around a Swimming Pool

What type of rock do you prefer for your waterfall?

Natural Rock for Waterfalls

Do you want a grotto waterfall to swim under?

Grotto Waterfall with Natural Stone

Do you need space for entertaining or a play area for the kids?

What about an area for pets?

What is your budget, and can the design be built out in stages if needed?

Having these questions ready can help prepare you to choose the options that are available in a new swimming pool. Whatever your goal is, define it. When making every decision, ask yourself if that choice will enhance your design. If you are planning a complete outdoor design, it is easier to break it up into stages. In most cases, you will need to start in the backyard and work your way to the front because of access issues, unless you have a rear access to the property.

Take plenty of time to prepare before the initial meeting. By doing so, you can make sure your dreams and visions are well thought out and exactly what you want. Your backyard is an extension of your home and can become a mini-vacation spot if you have the right pool contractor for the job. Make sure that you find a contractor who is committed to listening to you and making your dream a reality.

Backyard Swimming Pool Paradise

Lucas Congdon designs and builds natural stone swimming pools and outdoor designs. He is one of a few designers that can transform your vision into paradise without ever using fake rock. Before you settle for, “It can’t be done”, check with Lucas, http://www.LucasLagoons.com because the possibilities are endless.

People often ask me how I select the rocks for a particular project. I would like to share the process I use when I select the rocks for one of my waterfalls. I am actually looking for several categories of rocks: character rocks, structural rocks, waterfall rocks, grotto rocks, and veneering rocks.

Rock with Character

When I say a rock has character I mean that the rock looks unique. It could be that the rock has moss or lichen growing on it. The rock may have veins running along it or some other type of rock running through it.

Structural Boulder Rock

If I find a rock with character, I then look to see if there are two relatively flat sides so that it can be used as a structural rock. These flat sides are necessary because they allow me to stack one rock on top another fairly easily.

Natural Waterfall Rocks

One of the signature elements of my design are the waterfall rocks. I’m looking for a rock with natural channels that water has carved into the rock.

Sometimes this happens when a rock is in a stream and water runs over it for so many years that it actually carves channels in the rock. When I incorporate this rock into my waterfall, I make sure to run feeds to those channels so that the water is actually running over the rock as it always has been. This care in selection and positioning of the water feeds enhances the natural look that is so important.

Rock shaped Triangular

For either side of the waterfall, I like to blend the waterfall back down into the landscape so that it seems to come out of the ground organically. To achieve this, I look for rocks that are triangular shape so that the waterfall angles down into the landscape.

Another important thing to check in selecting a rock is to make sure that the rock looks completely natural and not quarried. To achieve this look I make sure there are no scuff or cut marks on the rocks from being handled by machinery. It is also important that the rock isn’t broken or sheared off. Every rock must look very natural and organic. Using a broken piece of rock will destroy the natural feel I am striving for.

Boulder Rocks for Veneering Walls

On the back side of the waterfalls, I like to find rocks that have big, beautiful faces. I will often select a rock that was laying flat in the woods and has all kinds of moss and lichen on it. When I stand the rock up on end I have a lot of usable square footage. This kind of rock is perfect for the back side of a waterfall because I can veneer it to the back of the concrete planter. Because the rock is relatively thin I have a lot of square footage without a lot of weight. The weight of rocks is an important factor to keep in mind because all of the rocks are shipped by the ton, so the heavier the rock is the higher the cost.

Grotto Waterfall Rocks

Probably the most important rock, and the most difficult to find, is the grotto rock. I look for a rock that is very flat and large to cap the top of the grotto. It also must have a very nice face to it. The face of the grotto rock is what you will see when you are looking at the grotto waterfall. I want this face to look very nice and natural. I don’t want a broken or sharp face. I want something that looks as if water would naturally flow over it. These rocks need to thick enough to be structurally strong, but not so thick that they look bulky hanging out over the grotto.

Single Boulder Water Feature

Some rocks are so beautiful on all sides that they can stand alone as simple pieces of art in the garden. They can be alone in the landscape or they can become another water feature. A single beautiful rock can be transformed into a water feature by core drilling the rock and running a water feed to it. These rocks don’t need any other rocks around them because they are so beautiful.

There are many different types of rocks and the selection criteria must be based on use as well as looks. When selecting rocks it is very important to think about the application that you have envisioned. A rock that will work perfectly for veneering won’t necessarily make a beautiful waterfall rock. A rock that’s a stand-alone piece of art might be too hard to build around in a waterfall application. Think about what you are trying to build, envision it, break it down into the individual rocks, and then search for those rocks. Go look at thousands of rocks with an idea in your mind of what you are trying to create. Find your building rocks, your feature rocks, and your veneering and grotto rocks. Each rock has its own purpose in the design.